Category: Marijuana

Babyboomer parents and grandparents often wonder how it is possible that their kids may suffer grave consequences from smoking pot when they themselves turned out just fine. Legal troubles aside, researchers have found plenty of new evidence that Marijuana’s health risks haven been vastly underestimated by the users of yesteryear.

Pot also packs a bigger wallop now than it did in the ’70s. Marijuana has become more potent exposing users to much higher levels of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. The brain’s functioning is greatly impacted by increasing impact of THC on its metabolism.

Using modern brain imaging, scientists have found that vital brain activities decline with the consumption of Marijuana, and the data shows that the effects are long-lasting – if damages can be reversed is largely unknown. Another big unknown is how a person’s genes and environment may cause the development of psychiatric disorders. Some studies have concluded that people with a certain gene variant are several times more likely to develop schizophrenia after repeated Marijuana consumption.

However, there are also voices of caution among Marijuana researchers that findings of those studies cannot be applied to the public at large. Igor Grant, director of the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research at the University of California doesn’t believe there is any compelling evidence that people develop more psychiatric problems, anxiety, depression, or even psychosis as a result of marijuana use. He says that if there was such a causal effect, the surge of the drug’s popularity in the ’60s and ’70s should have seen a distinct increase in cases of schizophrenia – which is apparently not the case.

Whichever way you choose to look at it, the statistics give good reason to be cautious: A recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that among marijuana users over age 12, almost 35 percent used marijuana 20 or more days in the past month.

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Nelroy Giddings Arrest:

Nelroy Giddings was booked in Essex County, NJ for DRIVING ON THE REVOKED LIST.

Today’s marijuana is pretty strong stuff. Scientists keeping track of this kind of thing report that they’ve never seen marijuana as strong as what’s floating about now, and they’ve been keeping track of marijuana potency levels since 1970.

The University of Mississippi Potency Monitoring Project has just issued a report on increasing THC levels in Marijuana. The university research group has analyzed almost 63 000 seized marijuana samples since its inception more than 3 decades ago, and they have laboriously charted the steady increase in strength.

Today, the average seized marijuana has a potency of 9.6%, which is twice what it was in 1983.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) funds the research project, and they say that this increase in potency increases the risks of acute impairment and marijuana addiction.

The researchers did not discuss their testing methodology in determining potency increases.

Today’s marijuana is pretty strong stuff. Scientists keeping track of this kind of thing report that they’ve never seen marijuana as strong as what’s floating about now, and they’ve been keeping track of marijuana potency levels since 1970.

The University of Mississippi Potency Monitoring Project has just issued a report on increasing THC levels in Marijuana. The university research group has analyzed almost 63 000 seized marijuana samples since its inception more than 3 decades ago, and they have laboriously charted the steady increase in strength.

Today, the average seized marijuana has a potency of 9.6%, which is twice what it was in 1983.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) funds the research project, and they say that this increase in potency increases the risks of acute impairment and marijuana addiction.

The researchers did not discuss their testing methodology in determining potency increases.

Surfed across this today, and thought I would pass it along. It is a list ranking the addictive properties of various drugs. Drugs are ranked based on "how easy is it to get addicted?" and on "how tough is it to quit?"

These two questions were given to a community of addiction experts, who ranked each drug on a variety of measures. The scores below reflect the ranking scores offered by these addiction experts. The numbers are only relative opinions, and are based only on the experience and expertise of experts in the field. In other words – these are just opinion scores, but interesting none the less.

The Addiction Scores of Illicit or Abused Drugs

100 – Nicotine

99 – Ice, Glass (Methamphetamine smoked)

98 – Crack

93 – Crystal Meth (Methamphetamine injected)

85 – Valium (Diazepam)

83 – Quaalude (Methaqualone)

82 – Seconal (Secobarbital)

81 – Alcohol

80 – Heroin

78 – Crank (Amphetamine taken nasally)

72 – Cocaine

68 – Caffeine

57 – PCP (Phencyclidine)

21 – Marijuana

20 – Ecstasy (MDMA)

18 – Psilocybin Mushrooms

18 – LSD

18 – Mescaline

Research was conducted by John Hastings, and the full text article can be found at "In Health" journal.

Surfed across this today, and thought I would pass it along. It is a list ranking the addictive properties of various drugs. Drugs are ranked based on "how easy is it to get addicted?" and on "how tough is it to quit?"

These two questions were given to a community of addiction experts, who ranked each drug on a variety of measures. The scores below reflect the ranking scores offered by these addiction experts. The numbers are only relative opinions, and are based only on the experience and expertise of experts in the field. In other words – these are just opinion scores, but interesting none the less.

The Addiction Scores of Illicit or Abused Drugs

100 – Nicotine

99 – Ice, Glass (Methamphetamine smoked)

98 – Crack

93 – Crystal Meth (Methamphetamine injected)

85 – Valium (Diazepam)

83 – Quaalude (Methaqualone)

82 – Seconal (Secobarbital)

81 – Alcohol

80 – Heroin

78 – Crank (Amphetamine taken nasally)

72 – Cocaine

68 – Caffeine

57 – PCP (Phencyclidine)

21 – Marijuana

20 – Ecstasy (MDMA)

18 – Psilocybin Mushrooms

18 – LSD

18 – Mescaline

Research was conducted by John Hastings, and the full text article can be found at "In Health" journal.

Barack Obama has used drugs – he has broken the law. He admits to experimenting with cocaine and marijuana while a young man, and although his candor is refreshing, his drug use has complicated his political aspirations, and political opponents from within his own party have been casting subtle digs about his past.

We expect leadership and moral correctness from our elected officials, and when yet another politician falls from grace, caught in lies about past or present acts, we bemoan the low ethical standards seemingly so prevalent among the Washington elite. Yet why, when we ask the impossible – perfection – are we surprised when imperfect humans (as we all are) prove themselves so?

Looking at the 2007 NIDA released statistics on drug use amongst high school seniors; we can see that although drugs may be illegal, more people than not in our society will try them, at least once. About half of all high school seniors will have used illegal drugs by graduation, and three out of four will have drunk alcohol, under age.

The democratic foundations of this country call for a person of the people, representative of the people, to serve in the best interests of all the people. In reality, we ask for a person who exhibits an impossible perfection of character and even of youthful judgment – a person very unlike most of us! Some may argue that Obama’s youthful indiscretion is not an issue of drugs, but rather of lawfulness; and that whether you can forgive him for his drug use, he did knowingly and willfully break the law. But once again, we all break the law!

We are all essentially guided by two often complimentary laws of action – our moral compass and the statutes of law. We do (mostly) what we perceive to be ethically right based on what we believe, and we follow laws of the state out of a fear of legal repercussions. And as such, when we do not perceive an act to be morally wrong, and when we feel that we are unlikely to face legal sanctions for engaging in it (getting caught) we are somewhat likely to break a law of the state barring this action.

Running a red light on a deserted country road at 3am is against the law, but as we perceive no moral need to stop, and feel we are unlikely to get caught, most of us will at some point creep through an intersection, without waiting for a green.

Taking drugs, as an individual act, is illegal, but it is not immoral – the act of using alone harms no one but the user. It may show poor judgment, but as teens, who amongst us can boast of uniformly good judgment?

Obama took drugs, like well more than half of us have. He does not take drugs now, and he has not for decades. Obama broke the law, like all of us have; he did not break any moral laws. What about all the politicians who claim never to have used drugs? Seems unlikely, based on the statistics.

Obama has told the truth. He is human. We should laud him for his courage. He may or may not be the right choice for president, but his past use of drugs should have no bearing on his legitimacy as a candidate today.

Hear Obama’s Views on Drug Policy

Barack Obama has used drugs – he has broken the law. He admits to experimenting with cocaine and marijuana while a young man, and although his candor is refreshing, his drug use has complicated his political aspirations, and political opponents from within his own party have been casting subtle digs about his past.

We expect leadership and moral correctness from our elected officials, and when yet another politician falls from grace, caught in lies about past or present acts, we bemoan the low ethical standards seemingly so prevalent among the Washington elite. Yet why, when we ask the impossible – perfection – are we surprised when imperfect humans (as we all are) prove themselves so?

Looking at the 2007 NIDA released statistics on drug use amongst high school seniors; we can see that although drugs may be illegal, more people than not in our society will try them, at least once. About half of all high school seniors will have used illegal drugs by graduation, and three out of four will have drunk alcohol, under age.

The democratic foundations of this country call for a person of the people, representative of the people, to serve in the best interests of all the people. In reality, we ask for a person who exhibits an impossible perfection of character and even of youthful judgment – a person very unlike most of us! Some may argue that Obama’s youthful indiscretion is not an issue of drugs, but rather of lawfulness; and that whether you can forgive him for his drug use, he did knowingly and willfully break the law. But once again, we all break the law!

We are all essentially guided by two often complimentary laws of action – our moral compass and the statutes of law. We do (mostly) what we perceive to be ethically right based on what we believe, and we follow laws of the state out of a fear of legal repercussions. And as such, when we do not perceive an act to be morally wrong, and when we feel that we are unlikely to face legal sanctions for engaging in it (getting caught) we are somewhat likely to break a law of the state barring this action.

Running a red light on a deserted country road at 3am is against the law, but as we perceive no moral need to stop, and feel we are unlikely to get caught, most of us will at some point creep through an intersection, without waiting for a green.

Taking drugs, as an individual act, is illegal, but it is not immoral – the act of using alone harms no one but the user. It may show poor judgment, but as teens, who amongst us can boast of uniformly good judgment?

Obama took drugs, like well more than half of us have. He does not take drugs now, and he has not for decades. Obama broke the law, like all of us have; he did not break any moral laws. What about all the politicians who claim never to have used drugs? Seems unlikely, based on the statistics.

Obama has told the truth. He is human. We should laud him for his courage. He may or may not be the right choice for president, but his past use of drugs should have no bearing on his legitimacy as a candidate today.

The study authors completed a long term data analysis of almost 5000 youths starting from the early 1990’s, and have examined specifically the age of first experimentation with different substances, and the prevalence of continuing substance use later in life.

The results are unsurprising, and confirm other research done on adolescent drug abuse.

Some of the findings include:

Sixty percent of teens who start using marijuana before the age of 15 will still be using the drug 8 years later. Only 20% of teens who start after the age of 19 will continue to use 8 years later.

Boys start using drugs earlier, and with more frequency, and are less likely to stop.

The study authors conclude that early in life prevention programs are of paramount importance, and that waiting until kids are in junior high may well be waiting too late. They note that a significant number of kids are trying alcohol at ages of 10 and 11 and that these kids may never, at this age, have been exposed to any drug or alcohol information. They suggest late elementary school grades as a better time to start drug and alcohol educational programming.

The study results also underscore the importance of drug and alcohol education in the family, and starting from a young age. Our kids are starting to experiment earlier than we realize, yet if we can keep them from this early experimentation, they stand a much better chance to avoid the pains of later in life addiction or alcoholism.

The study authors completed a long term data analysis of almost 5000 youths starting from the early 1990’s, and have examined specifically the age of first experimentation with different substances, and the prevalence of continuing substance use later in life.

The results are unsurprising, and confirm other research done on adolescent drug abuse.

Some of the findings include:

Sixty percent of teens who start using marijuana before the age of 15 will still be using the drug 8 years later. Only 20% of teens who start after the age of 19 will continue to use 8 years later.

Boys start using drugs earlier, and with more frequency, and are less likely to stop.

The study authors conclude that early in life prevention programs are of paramount importance, and that waiting until kids are in junior high may well be waiting too late. They note that a significant number of kids are trying alcohol at ages of 10 and 11 and that these kids may never, at this age, have been exposed to any drug or alcohol information. They suggest late elementary school grades as a better time to start drug and alcohol educational programming.

The study results also underscore the importance of drug and alcohol education in the family, and starting from a young age. Our kids are starting to experiment earlier than we realize, yet if we can keep them from this early experimentation, they stand a much better chance to avoid the pains of later in life addiction or alcoholism.

Research by the National Center on Addiction and Substance abuse compared the drug and alcohol consumption patterns of teens that ate family dinners 5 or more times per week, with those that ate them 2 or less times per week, and the difference revealed is dramatic. Families that don’t often eat together have teen children that are:

300% more likely to smoke marijuana250% more likely to smoke cigarettes150% more likely to drink alcohol

Wow! What an easy way to make a real difference, in your teen’s life, and for the family as a whole. The study authors state that although the simple act of eating together as a family seems most important, the experience can be enhanced with conversation and by ensuring the TV is turned off throughout the meal.

Research continually demonstrates the influence of family and parental involvement on the likelihood of teens avoiding the troubles of drugs and alcohol. And this recent study shows just how easily parents can ensure they exert that influence. Make it fun for all, order a pizza if that’s what it takes, and sit down as a family, at the table. It’s worth it.

Research by the National Center on Addiction and Substance abuse compared the drug and alcohol consumption patterns of teens that ate family dinners 5 or more times per week, with those that ate them 2 or less times per week, and the difference revealed is dramatic. Families that don’t often eat together have teen children that are:

300% more likely to smoke marijuana250% more likely to smoke cigarettes150% more likely to drink alcohol

Wow! What an easy way to make a real difference, in your teen’s life, and for the family as a whole. The study authors state that although the simple act of eating together as a family seems most important, the experience can be enhanced with conversation and by ensuring the TV is turned off throughout the meal.

Research continually demonstrates the influence of family and parental involvement on the likelihood of teens avoiding the troubles of drugs and alcohol. And this recent study shows just how easily parents can ensure they exert that influence. Make it fun for all, order a pizza if that’s what it takes, and sit down as a family, at the table. It’s worth it.

First of all, the whole medical marijuana thing drives me crazy. Fine, give marijuana to people with glaucoma if it helps them, cancer patients need a little pot, by all means they should have it; but there is a substantial difference between something being beneficial to certain people who are suffering from disease and good for one and all and their brother.

There’s this sort of smugness that I get a lot from marijuana proponents fighting for medical legalization, as if they were fighting some sort of battle for the greater good. I don’t believe it anyways, I just think they want to get stoned on legal weed…which is fine, but let’s drop this whole doing it for the AIDS patient’s thing.

It’s natural

OK what’s next, oh yeah, the whole it’s from the earth it’s natural it’s good for you line of reasoning. What’s up with that? Sure, smoking a natural herb may not be quite as harmful as sniffing gasoline, but just because things come from the earth doesn’t mean we should put them in our bodies. Opium is from a plant, but smoking a lot of opium never did anyone much good. Cyanide, that’s another one of natures goodies that never seems to make it into the whole, from the earth let’s smoke it line of reasoning. How about cobra venom…can’t get more natural than that.

Alcohol is worse

OK, number three on my list of grievances regards the whole comparison thing with alcohol.

Yes, I get it, alcohol is worse, and it’s legal too; the horror. Get over it already, alcohol isn’t good for you, it surely causes far more pain that marijuana ever will, and it’s far harder on the body as well; but once again, simply because alcohol is worse, doesn’t make marijuana good.

There is no law saying that you need to put any form of intoxicating substance in your body, it’s not as if we are dealing a necessary decision between two evils here. And about the whole alcohol being legal thing; governments would stop it if they could, but they can’t so they don’t. End of story.

Hemp

Yes yes, hemp is a wonderful thing, and I can’t wait until all of my shirts look as scratchy as yours. What’s the deal with marijuana smokers and hemp? They’re so infatuated with that weed they’re even going to wear it on their backs? OK I know hemp has a lot of promise for a great many things and I agree that it is pretty silly to restrict the growth of industrial hemp fibers, without any THC at all in them; but those clothes you’re wearing…I just can’t take you seriously in them

The legalization issue

So now you know where I stand on marijuana legalization…well you’re wrong; I think the money spent on enforcement of marijuana is absurd. I used to smoke marijuana, have since given it up, have friends that use heavily…whatever. It should be a personal decision, based on an awareness of the facts and issues surrounding the use of the drug, and wasting dollars far better destined to health care or education on rooting out plants and busting weed dealers makes no sense at all.

I don’t care as much about the issue since I no longer smoke and have nothing to fear from John QLaw, but even still, I’d like to see a legalization if only to prove that govt. policy makers have enough courage to do what most educated people believe needs doing, but remains such a political minefield.

And it may not help their case much, but I for one would respect the pot heads of the world far more if they’d just come out from behind their smokescreen (pun intended) of medical marijuana and scratchy shirts and all that, and just said "I like to get high, I’m not hurting anyone, get out of my darned business"

Medical marijuana

First of all, the whole medical marijuana thing drives me crazy. Fine, give marijuana to people with glaucoma if it helps them, cancer patients need a little pot, by all means they should have it; but there is a substantial difference between something being beneficial to certain people who are suffering from disease and good for one and all and their brother.

There’s this sort of smugness that I get a lot from marijuana proponents fighting for medical legalization, as if they were fighting some sort of battle for the greater good. I don’t believe it anyways, I just think they want to get stoned on legal weed…which is fine, but let’s drop this whole doing it for the AIDS patient’s thing.

It’s natural

OK what’s next, oh yeah, the whole it’s from the earth it’s natural it’s good for you line of reasoning. What’s up with that? Sure, smoking a natural herb may not be quite as harmful as sniffing gasoline, but just because things come from the earth doesn’t mean we should put them in our bodies. Opium is from a plant, but smoking a lot of opium never did anyone much good. Cyanide, that’s another one of natures goodies that never seems to make it into the whole, from the earth let’s smoke it line of reasoning. How about cobra venom…can’t get more natural than that.

Alcohol is worse

OK, number three on my list of grievances regards the whole comparison thing with alcohol.

Yes, I get it, alcohol is worse, and it’s legal too; the horror. Get over it already, alcohol isn’t good for you, it surely causes far more pain that marijuana ever will, and it’s far harder on the body as well; but once again, simply because alcohol is worse, doesn’t make marijuana good.

There is no law saying that you need to put any form of intoxicating substance in your body, it’s not as if we are dealing a necessary decision between two evils here. And about the whole alcohol being legal thing; governments would stop it if they could, but they can’t so they don’t. End of story.

Hemp

Yes yes, hemp is a wonderful thing, and I can’t wait until all of my shirts look as scratchy as yours. What’s the deal with marijuana smokers and hemp? They’re so infatuated with that weed they’re even going to wear it on their backs? OK I know hemp has a lot of promise for a great many things and I agree that it is pretty silly to restrict the growth of industrial hemp fibers, without any THC at all in them; but those clothes you’re wearing…I just can’t take you seriously in them

The legalization issue

So now you know where I stand on marijuana legalization…well you’re wrong; I think the money spent on enforcement of marijuana is absurd. I used to smoke marijuana, have since given it up, have friends that use heavily…whatever. It should be a personal decision, based on an awareness of the facts and issues surrounding the use of the drug, and wasting dollars far better destined to health care or education on rooting out plants and busting weed dealers makes no sense at all.

I don’t care as much about the issue since I no longer smoke and have nothing to fear from John QLaw, but even still, I’d like to see a legalization if only to prove that govt. policy makers have enough courage to do what most educated people believe needs doing, but remains such a political minefield.

And it may not help their case much, but I for one would respect the pot heads of the world far more if they’d just come out from behind their smokescreen (pun intended) of medical marijuana and scratchy shirts and all that, and just said "I like to get high, I’m not hurting anyone, get out of my darned business"